By Kristen Green, Globe Correspondent | October 30, 2005
After years of battling cellular phone companies over where they can locate their antennas, Wayland selectmen will ask residents Tuesday to rezone town-owned land in the Reeves Hill area as a wireless district, which would pave the way for the first town-approved cell tower.
Officials are asking voters to approve a location specified in a legal settlement the town reached this summer with Cingular Wireless, a cellphone company, and Horizon Towers, a tower-building company.
The companies had taken the town to court to push their proposal to build a tower on Boston Post Road (Route 20) near Pine Brook Road.
The zoning change requires two-thirds approval at Tuesday's Special Town Meeting. Voters will also be asked to allow the town to lease the property to Horizon Towers, which would construct a 180-foot cellphone tower, replacing an existing 120-foot tower on Reeves Hill the town uses for police and fire communications.
If voters reject the articles, the town will be required under its settlement agreement to issue a building permit at the Route 20 site, said Michael L. Tichnor, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, a siting the town has fought.